Provo murals project pairs local artists with downtown businesses

By
Ashley Moser, KSL TV
|
Posted - Apr 28th, 2019 @ 4:53pm

PROVO, Utah — The look of downtown Provo is changing. Nearly a dozen colorful murals have popped up in the area since August as part of a plan to showcase local artists as well as the local businesses where they feature their art.

Business alliance nonprofit Downtown Provo Inc. is heading the project with plans of adding one mural every month.

“We just try to line up the funding, we line up a property owners and we line up the artists to really put a program together,” Quinn Peterson with Downtown Provo Inc. said.

Program organizers hope both the businesses and artists will benefit from the partnership. Peterson said the murals are funded through donations to the nonprofit.

“It really kind of helps us get the word out about how many talented artist and what a creative community we have,” Peterson said.

Many of the murals are in areas the organization hopes residents and visitors will explore. To make them easy to find they have made a digital map on their website.

“The other benefit is that it really helps to clean up areas and discourage graffiti,” Peterson said.

Each first Friday of the month, the organization highlights a new mural during their art stroll.

Artist Dean Cheeseman’s mural located at the Bright Building at 400 S. University Ave. will be featured in May. He hopes his art will play a small part in adding value to the city.

“I love seeing downtown (Provo) grow,” Cheeseman said. “New businesses, new restaurants, new activities, new experiences for people to have, I would love to see that continue to grow.”